The Washington Capitals extended their ECHL affiliation agreement with the South Carolina Stingrays on Monday. The two teams will remain partners through the 2028-29 campaign.
Washington and South Carolina have been partners for 20 seasons in total, beginning with a run from 2004 to 2012, followed by one from 2014 to the present. During the partnership, the Stingrays won the Kelly Cup (2009), and the Capitals won the Stanley Cup (2018).
“We are excited to continue our affiliation with the South Carolina Stingrays,” Capitals general manager Chris Patrick said in a press release. “The Stingrays have maintained a winning culture throughout our partnership, creating an environment that has helped many of our prospects develop and advance in their professional careers. We look forward to building on that success together and continuing to provide our players with an outstanding opportunity to grow both on and off the ice.”
The Capitals had two players take the ice in the NHL last season who formerly played for the Stingrays, goaltenders Logan Thompson and Clay Stevenson. Thompson played the 2019-20 season in South Carolina, going 23-8-1 with a 2.25 goals-against average, a .929 save percentage, and three shutouts. Stevenson spent the 2022-23 campaign with the Stingrays, posting a 19-12-4 record with a 2.54 goals-against average, a .916 save percentage, and three shutouts.
Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery also got his coaching start with South Carolina as an assistant during the 2010-11 season. He then served as the club’s head coach and director of hockey operations from 2011 to 2016, winning the ECHL’s Coach of the Year Award in 2014.
“We’re equally excited to continue this affiliation with the Washington Capitals organization,” Stingrays president Rob Concannon said. “This partnership has given us the opportunity to compete at the highest level of the ECHL while providing our fans with an outstanding product night in and night out. Playing at this level gives their prospects invaluable game experience and a strong foundation to learn and grow in the professional game, and we look forward to continuing that tradition together for years to come.”
The Stingrays, who hired new head coach Jesse Kallechy last month, made the playoffs this past year with a 45-23-4 record. They won their first-round series against the Atlanta Gladiators before being eliminated in the second round by the eventual 2026 Kelly Cup champions, the Florida Everblades.
The Capitals are also already locked into their affiliate agreement with the AHL’s Hershey Bears through the 2029-30 campaign.
